The Oakwell Clock Is Ticking

Pre-season training for the Reds begins early on in July and they play their first game at Buxton on the 9th. But what has happened in the transfer market so far?

We've let two defenders, two keepers and a midfielder go and brought in Onome Sodje, who by the sounds of it, came here for a favour - to quote Simon Davey on the club's official site: 'someone we feel we can improve and develop here.'

If we were Scottish this news would certainly not be blowing our kilts up. Another player coming in to sit on the bench with Jamil Adam and Reuben Noble-Lazarus is not what a club who's top goalscorer notched 9 last season needs.

There's also hesitancy from Rob Kozluk on signing a new deal at the club although the official story, which we know isn't always the truth, is that he's on holiday at the moment.

With Bristol City splashing the cash about trying to lure Anderson Da Silva to Ashton Gate, we could be looking at a very depleted squad come the end of the month.

Not that I'm hitting the panic button just yet however, we have the money from the sales of Howard and Muller to rebuild the squad and Luke Steele is a more than capable replacement for the latter - he proved that in the final games of the season, arguably keeping us in Championship. We just need to get a move on and fast, we can't be listening to the age old excuse from Davey come September when we're in the bottom six: 'the players need time to gel as a unit.'

Now is the time for action. Obviously we don't want to rush into deals for players we don't really need, but 'Too late! Too late! will be the cry, when the man with the bargains has passed you by.'